After Everything
by Raviolis Flap
Summary: The Calamity has been defeated, the Hero and Princess, Link and Zelda, are reunited at last. Both are lost in this new world and struggle to find their places in it. But what they find instead, is that their place is with each other. Little do they know, a new threat lurks in the shadows.(Rated T to be safe, quite a bit of Zelink. Credit goes to Sunney90 for the cover.)
1. Prologue

Prologue

"May I ask, do you really remember me?"

Zelda stood in the wide expanse of Hyrule field, hands clasped as she waited for _his_ response. She watched as he stopped, a few paces in front of her, staring unblinkingly at her. He looked so familiar, yet so distant. Like an old childhood friend that moved away, only to see them again many years later.

"I do, your highness." Link said softly, after what felt like years of silence.

A surge of relief flooded Zelda, along with an urge to run up and lock her knight in an embrace the goddesses themselves weren't worthy of dealing. The urge became to strong, and Zelda stepped forward and locked him in a hug. Zelda felt Link stiffen at the contact, but eventually he seemed to relax, and returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry." Link said softly, through her hair.

"What do mean?" Zelda asked curiously as she pulled away to look him in the eyes.

"That I failed you, left you to fight that… _thing…_ for so long, while I should have been by your side." Link said quietly, his voice full of despair and regret.

"No. This is not your fault, but if it is anyones then it is mine. If only… my powers would have awakened sooner, the all our friends… wouldn't have…" Zelda's voice cracked, and suddenly her face was wet with tears.

 _This is all my fault_ Zelda thought _my father, my friends, would all be alive if I just_ her thoughts were cut short by the sudden warmth of Link, hugging her.

"No." He whispered, as he rubbed small circles on her back in an attempt to comfort her. "What happened couldn't have been avoided, no matter what. It is not your fault, princess."

What felt like hours passed as the two stood in the middle of Hyrule field, Zelda sobbing into Link's tunic while he did his best to comfort her. Eventually, Zelda's crying turned into a soft whimper, and eventually the two pulled away.

"I'm sorry for that… I didn't mean to act so brash" Zelda said, regaining her composure.

Link merely nodded, and helped Zelda onto Epona, while he began walking along side of Epona.

"Wouldn't we travel faster if we both rode on your horse?" Zelda asked curiously.

Link froze at her request. What she was asking was against the Knights Code of Honor. But, the kingdom died a hundred years ago, along with the rules and expectations.

"If you wish, your highness." Link responded after some deliberation.

Zelda moved forward to allow room for him, and as Link climbed on and took Epona's reins, she felt her cheeks getting warm on their close proximity. She immediately brushed the thought aside, noticing how tired she was. _Guess that's what fighting an evil pig-thing for a hundred years does to you_ she thought. Feeling the warm embrace of darkness slowly consume her, she drifted off to sleep.

/0

A/N: Hello! I recently "100%ed" BotW and it left me with some inspiration. So here it is! More chapters to come in the near future. I also apologize for any mistakes. I'm still new to writing… Also, please review with constructive criticism. It helps ALOT.

Bye!


	2. Nightmares

Chapter 1

* * *

Dark. Everything was dark. Zelda looked around she saw it.

Ganon.

 _No no no no…_ Zelda thought, _no this can't be happening. Link and I sealed him away! Oh… no.. that never actually hap_

"Zelda!"

Zelda's thoughts were interrupted by a strangely familiar voice.

"Zelda, wake up!"

Zelda shot up, shaking vigorously, cold sweat on her brow. Link looked down at her, concerned for her well-being. Zelda looked around, realizing it was only a nightmare, and memories of the nightmare came rushing back. The dam broke down, as she flung herself into Link, capturing him in a tight embrace. Link, for the second time that day, did his best to comfort her.

"I'm sorry… I saw… _him…_ " Zelda whimpered, "It was… so… real..."

Link said nothing in response, causing Zelda's mind to start racing with thoughts.

 _Is he irritated by me? Does he wish he could just ditch me here and go back out to the wild? Does he not remember how close we were?_

"You know," Link began softly, "I get them too. The nightmares. Only for me, the guardian was aiming at you, not me, and it killed you. I watched you die, and I was hopeless to stop it."

Zelda looked up at Link, locking her eyes with his deep cerulean ones.

"Sometimes I wonder, why us? Why did this have to happen to us? All our friends… our families… your memories… everything." Zelda said, voice breaking.

"Think about it like this," Link began, "if any of _this_ never happened, then we wouldn't have met, and I wouldn't have a best friend."

Zelda just at that moment, realized something. _This is the most he has ever spoke to me. Ever!_ The thought brought a small smile to her face, and Link looked obviously confused by it.

"Wait… where are we?" Zelda asked, out of curiosity and also to try and change this depressing topic.

"Nowhere really. When you fell asleep, I thought it best to start making way to Dueling Peaks stable. We are still somewhat in Hyrule Field at the moment" Link said as he began setting up a small camp.

Zelda watched as Link moved around their small encampment, clearing out an area, setting up a bedroll, starting a fire, shish kabobbing mushrooms and meat, everything he seemed to do, he did with so much grace, Zelda pondered. _It's quite an attractive trait._

Realizing where her mind had wandered, she pushed the thought aside trying to hide the growing blush from Link. Link, much to Zelda's relief, didn't seem to notice.

"I have set up a small bed for you, your highness." Link said, putting up his stoic wall again, which Zelda noticed immediately.

 _No. We can't be doing this. After all we went through, Link still puts up his stoic exterior! I won't do with it anymore._

Zelda took a deep breath, going over the conversation in her mind.

"Link, we need to talk." Zelda began. Link looked over to her curiously. "Link, I want you to know you can be yourself around me. You don't need to put up your stoic wall around me. Please… just… be yourself. I can't bear to think about you shutting everything inside because you think you still must follow those oaths and vows you made all that time ago. Those oaths and vows died with the kingdom. You don't have to come with me if you don't want to."

Link started blankly at her. She tried to look him in the eye, but she couldn't stand the intensity of his gaze. All doubts she had were washed away when she saw him smile. A genuine smile. Small, but genuine.

"I'm not here because it is my duty to protect you, princess." Link began softly, "I'm here because I want to protect you."

Surprised by his response Zelda tried to collect her thoughts only to have them intruded by a very brash thought. _Does he see me more than just his friend?_ Zelda brushed the thought aside, getting an idea.

"Link, drop the formalities. From now on call me Zelda. Please. There is no kingdom to be princess of anyways." Zelda asked, her voice getting softer as she spoke.

Link seemed taken back by the request, but he nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Then say it."

"Pardon?"

"My name. Say it."

Link hesitated, but seemed to resolve his inner conscious.

"...Zelda." he said softly, looking her dead in the eye. "Your name is Zelda."

Zelda about jumped with joy, a smile spreading across her face, confusing Link even more. It was then that she noticed how _famished_ she really was.

"Um… is the food ready?" She asked sheepishly. As if on cue, her stomach growled and then a strange unfamiliar sound echoed through the camp.

 _Laughter?_

She looked at Link and saw him laughing. _Link! Laughing! At what though? Oh... Oh… he's laughing at me…_ Zelda's cheeks started to take a dark shade of pink as she pieced the puzzle together.

"Of all the times you choose to laugh it's at me" Zelda stated sternly but with playfullness in it.

Link, who seemed taken aback by the sound coming out of his mouth, tried to regain himself, only to drop one mushroom skewer into the fire while spinning it over the fire. Link again seemed surprised by his clumsiness, backed away from the fire. At this point in time, Zelda was laughing so hard she was having trouble breathing.

"I… um… I'm going to go get a few more mushrooms..." Link stated, still confused on what was going on. Link picked up the Master Sword and his Hylian shield, and went off into the woods, promising to be back shortly.

A few minutes later, Link arrived with some mushrooms and a small bundle.

"What's that?" Zelda asked, curious on what was in the bundle.

"A present." Link said plainly, and seeing Zelda's eyes widen in surprise, he sighed. "Yes, it's for you, and no, you can't open it yet."

With dinner finished, Link set out four kabobs, two for each of them, both containing hylian shrooms, prime meat, salt and hylian herb. Zelda about squealed with joy when she bit into the kabob.

"This is amazing Link! When did you learn to cook like this?" Zelda squealed.

Link's cheeks took a dark shade of pink at her compliment. "I uh… kinda just… k-knew how..." he stated, obviously somewhat flustered. He just hoped the soft glow of the fire helped hide it. Minutes passed in comfortable silence as they ate away happily.

"So about earlier," Zelda said, putting the silence to an end. "Do you promise to be yourself by me?"

"Yes" Link stated hastily, not missing a beat.

"Well that settles it!" Zelda said happily, noticing a strange twinge in her chest. It was a strange feeling, but not unpleasant. Not in the least.

* * *

A/N: Well here is the first main chapter! Next chapter is when the good Zelink fluff will start to pick up. Expect it to be out in the near future. Again, constructive criticism is _ALWAYS_ needed.

Now:

Thank you AndrewInevitable for your review! Your words mean a lot :)

Bye!


	3. Ranidaphobia

A/N: First of all… Holy shit…

I didn't expect so much attention to this, as it is a small entry, by a new author, in a wide expanse of other stories. I'm flattered to say the least! Thank you all!

Second of all…

Well, this was originally going to be pure fluffy trash, but I've decided to expand to it...

You'll just have to wait and see!

* * *

Chapter 2: Ranidaphobia

The rest of the night went by uneventfully. Zelda, anxious to see what her present was, kept on nagging Link on what it was. Link, kept his mouth shut and promised her that she could open it the following morning.

"Why can't I open it now?" Zelda whined, giving Link her best set of puppy eyes.

Link simply ignored her, knowing she could get the best of him.

"Alright fine. I can wait until tomorrow." Zelda relented, still wanting to know what her present is. Her thoughts shifted to what happened earlier that day. The nightmares… what if they came back?

"Link?" Zelda asked quietly, needing his opinion on the situation.

"Yes?"

"What if my nightmares come back?" she asked anxiously.

Link hummed in acknowledgement, obviously deep in thought. Moments passed while Zelda watched his eyes dart around the fire. _Such a strange thing_ Zelda thought, _whenever he's thinking his eyes just dart around like crazy. He has such pretty eyes too. I'd be blind if I didn't notice how hands_ _Ugh! Why am I thinking like this. We'll never be anything more than just friends._ _At least there's that..._

"Well," Link began, breaking her out of her trance, "If they do come back, know that I will be right here, by your side."

"Thank you Link." She said quietly, still troubled by her thoughts. She crawled into her bedroll only to see Link sit down a few feet away. He unsheathed the Master Sword and set it down in his lap.

"What are you doing, Link?" Zelda asked, curious by his behavior.

Link seemed puzzled by her question, so she just brushed it aside.

"Goodnight Link." she whispered.

"Goodnight Zelda." He said quietly.

Zelda awoke the next morning to find herself completely alone. The fire had long since died down, only a few embers remaining, but the strange thing was, Link was gone.

"Link?" Zelda called out, "Link!"

"Oh good morning prin-, uh, I mean Zelda." Link called from a nearby tree. "Sorry..."

"Why are you in a _tree_?" Zelda asked, clearly confused by the situation.

"I was… bored, I guess." Link said quietly, "Uh… anyways, breakfast?"

"That would be wonderful, Link." Zelda said, noticing how hungry she was.

"All right then. So, I was thinking that we make our way to Kakariko, to see Impa. I'm pretty sure she'll be quite happy to see you." Link said as he put some eggs in a pot.

"That's a great idea. But… what about after that? I want to rebuild my kingdom, but I don't feel up to it just yet..." Zelda asked, clearly worried.

Right as she finished talking, Zelda noticed how Link's ears and cheeks turned a deep red, flustered by something.

"I-I… uh… bought a.. house in… Hateno a while b-back, so uh… we could… stay t-there?" Link stuttered, trying to hide his face behind the cooking pot. Zelda could now see why he was as bright as a tomato.

"When did you buy a house? And how did you afford it?" Zelda asked, interested in his proposal.

"I bought about three months after I woke up. Some guy was tearing it down, and offered me a huge discount, so I took it." Link said, seemingly recovered by his tomato transformation, well, partly. He's ears didn't seem to go down a single shade. "Food's ready." He handed her an omelet, topped with hylian herbs and salt.

"You're too kind to me Link." Zelda stated with a small smile, which Link returned.

"Only for my princess" Link said already walking back to the pot to cook himself an omelet.

"Can I open my present now?" Zelda asked, still wanting to see what her present was.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry I forgot." Link said quietly as he pulled the bundle out of his pack. "Here you go."

Zelda untied the twine surrounding the bundle, and unwrapped it revealing a bow and quiver. The bow was carved by hand, and had intricate designs on it, which when Zelda looked closer, resembled a silent princess. The quiver was made of leather with a metal cap at the end and at the top, making sure the arrows don't penetrate the leather. The quiver had a carving of a silent princess engraved into it along with the Wingcrest.

"Link..." Zelda began, almost in a whisper, "This is beautiful! Did you make this?"

"Yeah, I made it a while back, shortly after I recovered a certain… uh… _memory..._ " He trailed off.

"Whats was it about?" Zelda asked, interested at the upbringing of a somewhat… _uneasy_ topic.

Link hesitated, clearly not wanting to give out the full details. He shuddered, possibly from remembering the incident. Then out of the water, as if on cue, a lone hot-footed frog jumped out, and Link, to Zelda's surprise, jumped off Epona and _hid_ behind his mare. Zelda just stared in clear shock of what was going on, then it clicked. Zelda, unable to suppress a giggle, turning Link into a scared, irate wildberry. Seeing this, Zelda's giggle turned into full laughter, making her snort, making her laugh even _harder._

"Don't make me eat it please..." Link said, somewhat sarcastically but with a serious tone.

"You… r-remember that?!" She said, trying to get air into her oxygen deprived lungs.

"Yes… I do…" Link said simply, with a strange tone of finality that took Zelda off guard.

 _I guess his memories are not something to be joking about,_ Zelda thought wanting to take back her statement. _No. No no! There he goes again, his face now a void of emotion. This is going to be harder than I thought…_

* * *

A/N: Hello again!

Fun fact of the day: the fear of long words is called Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. Ironic is it not? Lmao. Speaking of phobias, Ranidaphobia is the of frogs, hence the chapter name.

So, I just got off spring break, and school has starting picking up again, meaning my free time will dwindle. (Damn you calculus, damn you AP Physche! Damn you highschool!)

Meaning my ability to bust out chapters twice a week won't be possible. Maybe, but maybe not. We'll see.

So onto the thanks! (This is gonna take awhile…)

Thank you AndrewInevitable, Criagguy, Legend of Titans, Ruler of the elements and

ThMinish21 for favoriting!

To all the followers, thanks also! But I'm lazy and don't want to write down all 12 of you. (12?! holy crap) But from the bottom of my heart, thanks!

Midnaisbae – I don't regret it, but damn those koroks. I hate their stupid little "YAHAHA!" After hearing that so much… It get's to your head… Almost as bad as Navi. Almost… that's saying something XD

James Birdsong – Thanks! I see your reviews quite often, so it's good to see you here too!

Min – Thanks, and heres more! Lots more to come also!

MintToy – WOAH. I didn't think you would actually read this… lmao. Thanks for you words and I'll take your suggestions to heart. And my keyboard.

Nightwing2013 – Thanks for your kind words, they mean a lot! And yes… it is an achievement. One I regret and don't regret. AS stated above, the laughter of the Koroks is… unnerving…

Cya next time!


	4. Rise

A/N: UGH!

I had to rewrite this WHOLE CHAPTER because my computer died before I could save the document.

SCREW YOU LIBRE!

Anywho, the reason I'm kinda late with this is mostly because I've been crying myself to sleep after watching Your lie in April. God that anime is GOOD. WATCH IT! THE DAMN FEELS!

Why Kaori….. why…

Okay enough of my ranting. See ya at the end of the chapter!

Shame. Once a strong feared clan, the Yiga clan felt nothing more than shame and regret. They were a mere joke now. But that was about to change.

"Hail!"

 _Yes. Yes. I am the new master. Hail to me!_ Falana stood where the old master had fallen, the Yiga clan's ceremonial grounds. Two elders stood by her side, along with four blade-masters behind her. _This is it. My time has come to bring this clan out of the ashes, to rise up and destroy the Sheikah and the Hylians for all they have done to us_.

One elder stepped forward, Admoer was his name.

"Bring the heirloom forward!" Admoer beckoned. A lone foot soldier stepped forward, with the heirloom. Admoer took the heirloom, as the soldier bowed.

Falana kneeled as Admoer placed the heirloom apon her head. It was a whhite mask, with a red, inverted Eye of Truth on the front. The eye had a gold outline around it, and the edge of the mask had gold engravings. A small gold circlet attached to the mask, making her stand out even more.

"All hail Master Falana!" Admoer yelled, as Falana stood up facing the crowd of Yiga warriors.

"Hail Master Falana!"

Then, a small breeze kicked in, along with a glowing orange light, and an inverted Eye of Truth. A lone Yiga scout appeared, looked around, and when he spotted Falana, kneeled.

"How dare you interrupt this ceremony!" Admoer beckoned at the scout.

"I come with information that may help the clan." The scout said.

"Admoer, shut it. What is this information?" Falana said blandly, somewhat intrigued.

"We have found a way to resurrect the Calamity."

"Link?"

"Yes?"

"You're not very good at promises." Zelda said, trying to strike conversation between them as they sat by the Tah'loh Naeg shrine. They had just recently arrived at Kakariko, and after Zelda and Impa's teary eyed reunion, Zelda thought it wise to check out the shrine.

"I'm sorry, Zelda. My memories, are just… I don't know…" Link began, trying his best to describe how he felt.

"Link, I just want you to know, you can be yourself around me." Zelda pleaded.

"It's just… hard… I don't know how to explain it but I-I… don't feel… together… like I was scattered into a hundred pieces and only eighteen returned to me…"

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter… I'm really busy with school right now, so just an FYI.

And now, my reaction to the follow, fav ratio:

HOLY SHIT

9 FAVORITES AND 26 FOLLOWS?!

WOAH!


	5. Failure

Well, well, well. Guess who came up with a cure to resurrection.

It has been a long time, and I was going to stop writing but… I recently checked up on , and saw the many reviews and thought I owed everyone something. So here it is.

After Everything. Chapter 5.

 **(Insert Dramatic Music Here)**

"Failure of a princess..."

"Failure..."

Failure…

That's all she was, wasn't it? Just a failure. She failed her kingdom, her family, her duties, her friends… She failed Link when he needed her most. Now look where she was, alone because of her stupidity.

 _No._

Zelda awoke with a start. It was cold and dark, with only a candle in the corner of the room, and some light streaming in from the draped windows. She noticed movement outside the window, so she stood up and looked out of the window.

"Hy-ah!"

Link. The man she suffered 100 years of torment and suffering just to see him again.

"Maybe there is hope for me yet..."

There is more to come, as I am writing this at 1 am. Next chapter coming soonish.

Enjoy.

-Ravioli


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